Where are you in your preparations? What do you have left to do?

I've actually prepped quite a bit more this year than normal. However, as a writer, I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl.

Done:
-Skelton outline of the whole book
-very slim skeleton for the ideas for the rest of the series I hope to eventually write so that the ideas can be more coherent.
-fully characterized main characters (even the ones that barely show up until later books in the series)
-world building (mostly*)

to be Done
-Name and describe the other 9 girls in my story (although I will probably do this as needed as I write and discover what personalities are missing. I don't want to tie myself down to a character if it turns out that it'll be a useless character.

*when I say mostly regarding the world building, it's mainly because I don't have an entirely fictional world, nor an entirely real one. Basically, I can probably avoid getting too indepth into history, culture and religion of the fictional world until the characters are all flushed out a bit more completely with writing a whole novel and getting to know them a bit more closely.

Oooo. I'll check it out. Thanks, Tim. Steve

Be sure to check out the list of recommended software on our NaperWriMo wiki (you might also be interested in XMind, another freeware mindmapping software; freemind has a simpler interface and its beta offers tagging of nodes; XMind gives you more options on what the nodes do (different layouts, possibility of file attachments to nodes) and looks nicer).

--Tim

Oddly, although it's known to many, I just discovered the free Freemind software now. Looks fairly intuitive (great tutorial vid on youtube) and I think I'll try to freemind the final plot summary for my story, The Beach (working title), tonight. I know what I'll be doing between handing out candy bars every three minutes at the front door (we get about 100 kids coming to our house each All Hallow's Eve; my revenge is writing the book that their English teacher is going to make them read when they're in high school. LOL) .

I know the plot basics, now to just get it down in Freemind, crank up MS Word and Dragon NS v10 and get dictating/writing tomorrow.

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

FinBarrMcG's first question to me this morning--"Are they writing in Australia yet?"

Can't wait to get started!

Preparations? We don't need no stinkin' preparations.

We have the same list!

I have fixed some of the historical issues that plagued my prologue. I just need to update my synopsis to reflect this, and then finish up my character profiles. I'm not one to use outlines, so no worries there.

Last year, I planned some exquisitely complicated character sheets and did very little plot work. In retrospect, I should've done a lot more pre-NaNo world-building and setting exploration if I wanted the "just let the characters bounce off each other" plot strategy to work.

This year, I've been afraid to overplan but I do need a little bit to get me going. Any thoughts?

I plotted out around to the climax, felt my brain deflating, pulled out my hair for a while, and had a nap. Seemed good. Then I came back to the outline a couple of days later and hammered out a climax and an ending and there was GREAT SUCCESS! Much joy commenced, etc. etc. So, I have a complete outline to work off that's about 4k in and of itself.

I am excite! /Borat accent

I also have a lot of information stores in my head that I need to get down. I haven't been sure how I want to proceed with this; I could do an outline of the chapters, but for this particular novel I don't know if I want it structured. I kind of want to be surprised and see where it takes me.

What I do have done is this:

My main characters are named and basic backgrounds that grow the more 'time' I spend with them. A lot of snippets of dialogue are filling my head, and I have to rush to write them down or store them in my phone so I don't forget when it comes time to write it.

I already know the jist of the first few chapters. Their relationships before the book even starts are pretty established, which will make writing them a whole lot easier. I have the general plot down pat/

What I need to do:

Identify my antagonist. Not sure where that's going yet.

Really solidify some of my characters' motivation, like the main purpose of the road trip. I know they GO on a road trip...I know my main character is searching for *something*, and it's a thing, not a person or a place. That's...all I got ;-)

Done:
List of 'Things That Need to Happen' = basically, a plot out line. Sorta-kinda-ish?
Characters named
2 of 3 main chars mostly defined (that third one is still niggling at me, and he's being a bit of a jerk about it.)
Bad guy/s defined
Bad guys' motivation defined
Good guys' motivation defined
Climax: torn between two possible endings. Might meld them together somehow.
Beginning line found (still needs to be tweaked)

Not Done:
Fill in plot holes ('between-important-stuff' scenes. I have the 10 points (er, I think), but it's the betweens I'm missing.)
Figure out mode of travel
Decide on import/frequency of dreams
Make that 3rd character behave
Catch up my notebook with my head
And, of course, making sure I can do 2k words a day. @_@

Good luck everybody, T-8 days!!

Done:
Not plan beyond the original idea of the plot.

Not Done:
Find motivation to actually do the writing.

Yep, short list. Unfortunately, 'tis a difficult list.

I'm so behind!

Done:
- I have a basic plot!
- Characters are named!
- Computer files are all set up! (story file, acknowledgements, dedication, NaNo tracker)
- My NaNo calendar + inspirational quotations are up on my wall!
- Website stuff (signature image, cover art, etc.) is done!

To Do:
- Character bios/master name list
- Character connection charts
- Outline with solid plot structure
- Compile any other notes

I think that's it. "That's it" - ha. Easy-peasy. ;-) :-p

I saw the details on that in your post in the other thread--both plots sound good. What a nice quandary to have! I would choose the story that was more strongly with me, that I felt more passionate about, to do at NaNo. That's the one that would be more likely to write itself.

Alternately, you could combine the plots... ;-)

--Tim

I was at list of every major plot point for my story, but then I had a brand new plot hijack my brain. Now I'm not sure what to do!

I'm working on a chapter-by-chapter synopsis - up to chapter 5 thus far. My theory is that having such a synopsis will help me keep focused and avoid getting bogged down. Maybe then I'll be able to push through to a win this year ;)